Re: [NTLK] OS X lite for handheld?

From: Richard Kilpatrick (dmc12_at_btconnect.com)
Date: Thu Jan 20 2005 - 16:55:31 PST


On 20 Jan 2005, at 19:54, Hannes Wolf wrote:

> The main and really big difference here is to use a VGA display on the
> client. Anything less than VGA is just a drag!

Depends entirely on your purpose. I use PalmVNC on a Clie UX50 which
has 480 x 320, if I could get scaling to work it would be fine; as it
is I can see slightly less than 1/4 of the screen (as my host machine
is a G3/266 running 10.3.7 with an LCD display, I can't set different
res due to the fixed adaptor I use). This is sufficient to control
iTunes from, for example. The UX50 is a great Palm VNC box as it has
WLAN. One tap per 1/4 screen basically. Hardly an effort.

> With 640*480 VNC is finally usable. For using it with a MacOSX VNC
> server, it also helps a lot to have a (Bluetooth) keyboard for the
> keyboards commands and typing, as using the onscreen keyboard is hardly
> practical and takes away screen real estate, too.

Bluetooth for the Mac or for the client? UX50 has a keyboard built in.
Newton has more res on the eMate and 2100 but they are painfully slow
for VNC and lack enough memory to actually maintain a decent window
size; plus the lack of colour is a real pain.

> Another details that helps performance a lot is the WLAN connection on
> the PocketPC. I will try it via Bluetooth with UMTS and EDGE, too.

Regardless - I think Wired have taken a particularly dense spin on this
article which I think will lose them (more) credibility with people who
actually know about computers. VNC is not running a 'lite' OS or any
such thing. I have every intention of using it to control a Mac Mini
media server when I get around to getting one (it will replace my beige
G3 and give me an entirely 'Jobs era' collection of PowerMacs, even if
a lot of my 68K hardware predates it.

Richard

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